Denise Rimes

Denise Rimes

Denise Rimes is a fourteen-year member of First Unitarian Universalist Church of Richmond, Virginia, served by called minister Rev. Jeanne Pupke. She was raised in the Jewish tradition but, as a religion major in college (long, long ago), she felt drawn to the teachings and principles of Unitarian Universalism after the 9/11 tragedies.

She’s served in various leadership roles, both in her congregation and in the Southeast District and Southern Region and broader denomination:

  • Human Resources Committee Member (2002-2003)
  • First Vice President of the Congregation and Human Resources Committee Chair (2003-2006)
  • Congregational President (2006-2008)
  • Chair, Ad-Hoc Bylaws Revision Team (2007-2008)
  • Vice President of the Southeast District (2008-2012)
  • Southeast District congregational consultant (2005-2015)
  • First UU Small Group Ministry facilitator
  • Staff of The Southland UU Leadership Experience at the Mountain Retreat (2009-2010)
  • Chair, Board Policy Development Team, Southeast District
  • First UU Committee on Mission (COM) member (2009-2012)
  • General Assembly volunteer usher/head teller (2008-2015)
  • General Assembly mini-assembly moderator and process observer (2010-2012)
  • General Assembly workshop panelist, Excellence in Ministry (2010)
  • Congregational Linkage Focus Groups, co-facilitator (2010)
  • Southeast District Ministerial Search Representative (2011-present)
  • President of the Southeast District (2012-2015)
  • Vice President of the District Presidents’ Association (2014-2015)
  • Member, Board of Review, Unitarian Universalist Association
  • Stewardship Steering Committee volunteer, First UU (2011-2015)
  • Leadership Development Committee, First UU (2012-2015)
  • Southern Region Elder (2015-2016)
  • President, District Presidents’ Association (2015-2016)
  • Coordinator, Sacred Listening Project (2015)

Her work in her congregation has spanned a ministerial termination, intern ministers, and interim minister, a homegrown consulting minister, a ministerial search and call and two transitions (congregational and district) to policy governance. She also participated in working herself out of a job as the final president of the Southeast District before regionalization!

She lives and works in Richmond, VA and is married with two daughters and three grandchildren, to all of whom she credits her current hair color.